moles

moles

Moles are growths on the skin that are usually brown or black. Moles can appear anywhere on the skin, alone or in groups.
Most moles appear in early childhood and during the first 20 years of a person's life. Some moles may not appear until later in life. It is normal to have between 10-40 moles by adulthood.

As the years pass, moles usually change slowly, becoming raised and/or changing color. Often, hairs develop on the mole. Some moles may not change at all, while others may slowly disappear over time

ECZEMA

ECZEMA

Eczema symptoms include itchy, red, and dry skin caused by inflammation. It’s most commonly found in children, although adults can get it. There are different types of eczema. The most common is called atopic dermatitis.

What Are the Symptoms of Eczema?

Almost always, there's an itch before a rash appears in eczema. Typically, eczema shows itself as:

• Patches of chronically itchy, dry, thickened skin, usually on the hands, neck, face, and legs. In children, the inner creases of the knees and elbows are often involved.

ROSACEA

Rosacea Treatment and You

If you have rosacea, there are many ways to keep the condition under control. Though rosacea can't be cured, treatment can help you control symptoms and prevent them from getting worse. Some things you can do on your own, like avoiding triggers. Other approaches include creams, medication, or surgery.

Avoiding Your Rosacea Triggers

To keep rosacea under control, you need to do your part. Learn what your own personal triggers are. Use a symptom diary to keep track.
When you find a pattern to your rosacea flare-ups, make adjustments

SKIN CANCER

SKIN CANCER

Introduction

Skin cancer is the most common form of human cancer. It is estimated that over 1 million new cases occur annually. The annual rates of all forms of skin cancer are increasing each year, representing a growing public concern. It has also been estimated that nearly half of all Americans who live to age 65 will develop skin cancer at least once.
The most common warning sign of skin cancer is a change in the appearance of the skin, such as a new growth or a sore that will not heal.
The term "skin cancer" refers to three different conditions. From the least to the most dangerous, they are:

• basal cell carcinoma (or basal cell carcinoma epithelioma)
• squamous cell carcinoma (the first stage of which is called actinic keratosis)
• melanoma

The two most common forms of skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Together, these two are also referred to as nonmelanoma skin cancer. Melanoma is generally the most serious form of skin cancer because it tends to spread (metastasize) throughout the body quickly. Skin cancer is also known as skin neoplasia.
This article will discuss the two kinds of nonmelanoma skin cancer.

Basal cell carcinoma

What is basal cell carcinoma?
Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer and accounts for more than 90% of all skin cancer in the U.S. These cancers almost never spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body. They can, however, cause damage by growing and invading surrounding tissue.

Skin Cancer

What are risk factors for developing basal cell carcinoma?
Light-colored skin, sun exposure, and age are all important factors in the development of basal cell carcinomas. People who have fair skin and are older have higher rates of basal cell carcinoma. About 20% of these skin cancers, however, occur in areas that are not sun-exposed, such as the chest, back, arms, legs, and scalp. The face, however, remains the most common location for basal cell lesions. Weakening of the immune system, whether by disease or medication, can also promote the risk of developing basal cell carcinoma. Other risk factors include

• exposure to sun. There is evidence that, in contrast to squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma is promoted not by accumulated sun exposure but by intermittent sun exposure like that received during vacations, especially early in life. According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun is the main cause of skin cancer. The risk of developing skin cancer is also affected by where a person lives. People who live in areas that receive high levels of UV radiation from the sun are more likely to develop skin cancer. In the United States, for example, skin cancer is more common in Texas than it is in Minnesota, where the sun is not as strong. Worldwide, the highest rates of skin cancer are found in South Africa and Australia, which are areas that receive high amounts of UV radiation.
• age. Most skin cancers appear after age 50, but the sun's damaging effects begin at an early age. Therefore, protection should start in childhood in order to prevent skin cancer later in life.
• exposure to ultraviolet radiation in tanning booths. Tanning booths are very popular, especially among adolescents, and they even let people who live in cold climates radiate their skin year-round.
• therapeutic radiation, such as that given for treating other forms of cancer.

Basal Cell

What does basal cell carcinoma look like?
A basal cell carcinoma usually begins as a small, dome-shaped bump and is often covered by small, superficial blood vessels called telangiectases. The texture of such a spot is often shiny and translucent, sometimes referred to as "pearly." It is often hard to tell a basal cell carcinoma from a benign growth like a flesh-colored mole without performing a biopsy. Some basal cell carcinomas contain melanin pigment, making them look dark rather than shiny.
Superficial basal cell carcinomas often appear on the chest or back and look more like patches of raw, dry skin. They grow slowly over the course of months or years.
Basal cell carcinomas grow slowly, taking months or even years to become sizable. Although spread to other parts of the body (metastasis) is very rare, a basal cell carcinoma can damage and disfigure the eye, ear, or nose if it grows nearby.
How is basal cell carcinoma diagnosed?
To make a proper diagnosis, doctors usually remove all or part of the growth by performing a biopsy. This usually involves taking a sample by injecting a local anesthesia and scraping a small piece of skin. This method is referred to as a shave biopsy. The skin that is removed is then examined under a microscope to check for cancer cells.
How is basal cell carcinoma treated?
There are many ways to successfully treat a basal cell carcinoma with a good chance of success of 90% or more. The doctor's main goal is to remove or destroy the cancer completely with as small a scar as possible. To plan the best treatment for each patient, the doctor considers the location and size of the cancer, the risk of scarring, and the person's age, general health, and medical history

sun burn

SUN BURN

Sunburn Skin Care Tips

Here are some quick sunburn skin care tips to help you get started.

Here are sunburn skin care tips that will help you all year long. Lets start with these for the up in comming Spring Break tips from News Canada.

Tips to Avoid Getting Burned This Winter Break

By Karen Petcoff

As families flock to the beach during the mid-winter school break, it's important to make the most of your vacation by using a little common sense to protect you and your family.

1. Pack a hat. If you're planning to be out especially between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., peak sun hours, wearing a brimmed hat makes sense. Any adult or child who gets their hair styled in the popular corn rows or braids offered by many resorts should be particularly mindful of wearing a hat to protect their scalp from burning. Tilley Endurables (www.tilley.com) offers one the widest selections of fashionable, popular hats for travellers.

2. Sunglasses. Whether you're on the water, the beach or the road, sun in the south can be very intense. Protect your eyes from the sun's ultraviolet radiation (UV) with a pair of sunglasses. From celebrity-style to aviator, designers like Lacoste make sure you look hot while getting the eye protection you need.

3. Sunscreen. Pick a sunscreen that protects against UVA and UVB rays, both of which are harmful, with a high sun protection factor (SPF). Banana Boat Suncare has just come out with a sunscreen in a convenient spray format that offers SPF 50, meaning you can stay out in the sun up to 50 times longer without burning than if you weren't wearing protection. Check out the Banana Boat website for more suncare tips at www.bananaboat.com.
4. Read the fine print. Before booking your holiday, or while checking out daily excursions during your vacation, be sure to check the details involving any extra costs you might be incurring. If you have any doubts or questions, check with your tour operator's on-site representative. After all, no one likes getting burned on a family vacation.
Credit: www.newscanada.com Photo credit Malcom Taylor

Here are some more Sunburn Skin Care Tips.
These two sunburn skin care tips may sound lame, but think back on the last time you or the kids got sunburn. Wasn't that long ago was it!!!

The two most often made mistakes we make about our skin and the sun are,
FIRST PUT ON YOUR SUNSCREEN 30 MINUTES BEFORE GOING OUT!!!
PUT MORE SUNSCREEN ON you, just put it on... GO PUT MORE ON and take it with you, you will need to put more on during the day.

I Know I get turned around with the kids too. Just today, when I was putting the bread back after breakfast, I put the bread where the toaster goes and I tried to put the toaster in the fridge before I came around.
It's all in the habits so I try to get the sunscreen on before the boys brush their teeth. That can take 30 minutes. Now I'm giving you Sunburn Skin Care Tips can you give me some tips to get the kids to brush their teeth....

A sunburn will not show right away. Pain and inflammation may begin 3 to 5 hours after the damage has been done. This may not peak even until 15 hours later. This sunburning of the skin breaks down your skins store of elastin and collagen, the materials that give skin its firmness and elasticity, causing wrinkles.

SUNBURN HELP

THERE are many different studies on the SUN and SKIN. With the sun being number 1 cause of SKIN CANCER. Depending on which study it can be from one blistering burn as a child to 3 blistering burns durng your life. If you have had a severe sunburn in your past you should let your doctor know.A good sunburn skin care tips. Even if it has been several years ago.

It’s no secret that UV damage can cause premature aging and skin cancer. A DNA test is now available over the counter that can assess your skin’s level of UV damage.